One of the most famous department stores in America opened in Philadelphia on this date in 1877. Wanamaker’s, now absorbed into the Macy’s family of department stores, opened in a converted train station and is now a national historic landmark. The store was among the first in the country to make the experience of shopping as much a draw as the merchandise itself, pioneered the use of the price tag, and was the first to install a restaurant on the premises. In the U.S. today, there are just over 3,500 traditional department stores, employing over a half-million people and generating nearly $77 billion in annual sales. You can find more facts about America’s people, places and economy from the American Community Survey at <www.census.gov>.